Problem with DAB radio

Non-Technical Nissan QashQai chat. Mk2, Mk3
chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

BatterBits wrote: Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:51 am I have a J11 15 plate Tekna with the "standard" software (D302?). I have similar symptoms to above, but strangely....

I commute at the same time each day, 06:30 to 07:30 and 17:15 to 18:30 roughly. I get (usually) perfect signal - I listen to Virgin in the morning and Radio2 in the evening, both on DAB. I generally have no issues, no dropouts no problems.

Outside of these times, I get horrible dropouts. I finish on a Friday at noon, and get probably 10 or 15 "station unavailable" events and a couple of reboots. When I use the car in the evenings, or at weekends - equally bad. I counted 8 events in a 5 mile journey last week.

Previously my commute times were earlier and later - 04:30 - 07:00/19:00/20:45 -never had a problem. But recently had an early start, several dropouts.

This morning, I had a few events on my commute....

I feel that I should lodge a complaint with Nissan - should I do this with the dedicated Nissan Connected services portal - or the general Customer Services portal?
You may get some better performance upgrading the software to the latest D554. I was getting daily reboots on D302, upgraded to D554 and now I only get them very rarely. It's definitely an issue with some anomaly in the DAB signal, but I think the earlier versions of the software are much more prone to it.
Oct 2014 N-tec+, 1.2 dig-T

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calnorth
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by calnorth »

Its the reboots that are significant Ian. The DAB signal varies for a number of reasons and mostly atmospheric or obstruction. The result of all or either is signal quality drop to a defined threshold. At that threshold the DAB receiver should stop...not reboot the system.

Go to Nissan Customer Services direct and get a Case Number.

DAB receivers in some instances are supposed to hop channels traversing transmitter area boundaries...BBC etc. I don't use DAB because of its high headache effect (drivel + adverts) so have no idea what the quality of that channel changing function is now. It used to work ok...without reboots.

Colin
Last edited by calnorth on Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

I don't think it's a problem with the strength of DAB signal itself, but something within the encoding of the DAB format has changed. A couple of transmitters have been identified (Dover was one mentioned?) that are producing this anomaly, so depending on where you are in the country probably matters. I have noticed my occasional reboots since D554 have always been on really nice hot sunny days, so maybe a signal from further afield is reaching me due to the atmospheric conditions.

Even when listening to USB/bluetooth, the DAB signal is constantly being monitored for traffic announcements etc, which is why disabling TA may also help.
Oct 2014 N-tec+, 1.2 dig-T
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calnorth
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Post by calnorth »

If there were continual unauthorised transmissions on the UK broadcast bands then OFCOM would engage the BBC as the broadcast technical authority to monitor and prevent such. Where it could be out of the BBC's authority, and that is interference from the European continent, it would be dealt with Internationally. I've never heard of such events except in the days I saw it seasonally impacting analogue TV on the UK South Coast. Digital TV and radio is by design immune to this both at short and long range. Thats effectively covering both co-channel and adjacent channel effects.

DAB and DAB+ are not compatible which throws up the subject of digital compression etc. This could be an issue with poorly designed DAB receivers and related internal ICE processing. This is where it gets into the adequacy of functional software and its hardware. If the hardware is faulty or limited then no software update will correct problems arising in service. Perhaps partially?
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
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chrisw99
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Post by chrisw99 »

Even if it's the hardware that's at fault, a software update should at least be able to mask the problem. The fact it reboots means the software has crashed, so some better error handling is probably all that is needed.
The problem is, the software calls lots of 3rd party software libraries for the various modules. So even Nissan waiting for Bosch may also mean Bosch have to now wait for a fix for a particular library for someone else to fix.
I'm confident it will get fixed with a software release fairly soon - but what will this mean for the people who have forked out lots of ££££ for a hardware replacement? I'm sure someone on here said they paid 50% with Nissan (costing them £1700), and it was still rebooting. Will they be entitled to their money back.

The burning question though, will someone on here be able to get hold of the new firmware so we can all get on with updating it instead of having to take it to Nissan..
Oct 2014 N-tec+, 1.2 dig-T
RedFraggle
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai - J11 (2013–2017)

Post by RedFraggle »

The other thread on rebooting has more info. Nissan have confirmed to me it's a DAB conflict and they're disconnecting the DAB antenna as a temporary fix next week.
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calnorth
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Post by calnorth »

The bad news is that some members here have been driving around with a big hole in their dashboards. Thats where Nissan have ordered a unit return to France (Clarion). Its loafed around there and returned only to be re fitted and continue failing.

That tells me that Nissan and its systems sub contractors are simply useless at electronics.
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
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emmo1000
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Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:47 pm
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai - J11 (2013–2017)

Post by emmo1000 »

Hi,

I have just had a reply from Nissan UK and have booked my Qashqai in for a free software update.
Nissan blamed it on 'a change and increase on the signal data management of UK DAB Broadcasters'!!
They also said the change was outside their control and will monitor the software update on my vehicle.
Booked in on 09/07/2019.
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